Unbroken
by CarminaxBuranax
Summary: Anna has had a troubled past, and just when she needs an escape the most, she finds it. This is another story about a girl being transported to Middle-Earth, and it is a tenth walker, but please give it a read, it will be worth it. Boromir/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

 **A/N: This is my first LotR fic, and my first real story so I'm naturally quite nervous. I would really appreciate reviews, and any feedback is gladly welcomed.**

The crowd erupted in applause as she bowed and exited the stage. From offstage, she could hear the crowd continuing to cheer, and she walked back on, bowing once more before making her final exit. Anna remembered when the applause and cheers would have made her heart swell, but now she felt numb inside. She waited until the theater cleared out before walking back to the piano onstage to retrieve her music, and exchanged a few pleasantries with the janitor before leaving. She buttoned up her coat and wrapped her scarf tightly around her, cursing herself for not remembering to bring a change of shoes for the harsh cold outside.

She walked toward the edge of the curb to hail a cab, burrowing into her scarf to escape the cold. Finally a cab pulled over, and as she walked towards it, one of her heels broke, sending her crashing towards the concrete. She stood up slowly, picking up her broken shoe, and cursed at the pain in her ankle, knowing it was most likely sprained. After climbing in the cab she gave the driver her address, and sat in silence all the way back. Her mind flashed back over the past year, how empty her life had been, when only a year and a half ago she would have called herself a happy person. She remembered how it had started, first with the subtle manipulation, the isolation, and then the beatings. She closed her eyes, trying to think of anything to make the horrible thoughts leave her head. One she arrived, she unlocked the door to the small apartment, climbed into her pajamas, and clicked on the TV as she iced her ankle. She sipped her tea and pulled up her blanket around her and began to drift off.

She heard an unfamiliar voice, interrupting her futile attempt to sleep. She shifted a bit, assuming it was just the TV becoming louder as she fell asleep.

Suddenly, Anna was woken up, her heart pounding. She looked around, eyes wide. She found herself on the ground, surrounded by forest. She also noticed that she seemed to be in some sort of outdoor courtyard, with elegantly carved statues, beautiful fountains, and stone benches. Multicolored leaves covered the ground she was still lying flat on her back on. Luckily, she didn't feel like she had hit her head. The most noticeable thing, however, was a large man towering over her. She cowered at first, before seeing the man offer her his hand to help her up. She ignored it and stood on her own, trying to ignore the pain throbbing in her ankle, still looking around her in wonder. Finally she let her gaze rest on the man in front of her, who had a remarkably puzzled look on his face. He was at least a good foot taller than her, with dark hair and soft grey eyes. The first thing that threw her off about him however was his clothes. He wore a dark red tunic with what looked like a curved horn on his belt, and, even more alarming, a large sword that was most definitely real. He also carried a massive shield across his back.

Utterly confused, and having lost the ability to speak, she found that she had been silently gaping at the man for what had to be at least a good few minutes, and he, as well as two others, were looking at her just as baffled. Finally she was able to muster out a few words.

"Where am I, and more importantly, who – who are you?"

The man looked confused before answering her. "You are in Rivendell, in the house of Elrond."

Those names sounded familiar to her, but in her confused state, she couldn't think of where she had heard them before.

"To answer your second question, my name is Boromir."

She had definitely heard that name before, but she still couldn't place it.

 **A/N: That was the first chapter, I know it was short, only because it's the opening. Anyway, please let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Sorry -" she stuttered. "Who did you say you were?" The man still had a bewildered look plastered on his face.

"Boromir," he reiterated. "I am Boromir of Gondor, and this is Legolas of Mirkwood," he said, pointing to a tall, ethereal looking man with long, blond hair, "and Gimli." He gestured towards a very short but stout and gruff looking man covered in armor that seemed a bit too heavy for someone his size.

"Are you here for the counsel lass?" the small man asked.

"Um, no. No actually I'm...I'm not quite sure why I'm here, or how I got here in fact," she said.

"We were wondering the same thing," said Boromir. "You seem to have appeared almost out of thin air." It was once again Anna's turn to give him the puzzled look. "What is your name?" he asked.

Before she could answer, a voice rang out from behind her.

"Ah! You must be Anna." She whipped around to face the sound of the voice. Before her stood a tall, slender man with long brown hair, who had a very similar resemblance to Legolas. Still dumbfounded and once again at a loss for words, Anna simply stared at the man. "I see you have already met Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli," he said. He had a hint of a smile on his face, and something about him made her feel a bit more at ease.

She went back over the past few minutes in her head. She knew that name...Boromir...and then Legolas and Gimli, Rivendell. She knew she had heard those names before, and suddenly it clicked.

 _Lord of the Rings. Holy crap. This is bad,_ she thought. What the hell was she doing in some sort of fictional universe? And why did this man, whom she deduced was most likely an elf, know her name?

"If you would be so kind as to join me, Anna, I should much like speak with you," Elrond said, gesturing for her to walk with him. She was hesitant, but didn't see what other choice she had. She looked back once more at Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli before turning around to walk towards Elrond.

Once they were out of earshot, Elrond finally spoke first.

"I think I can safely assume that you are rather confused as to your purpose here, and, judging from what I heard, your mere presence here."

"Well - yes," she answered meekly. He nodded, not seeming the least bit surprised.

"Come," he said, guiding her through the outdoor corridors and into a large garden. She looked around, not seeing anyone else. "I hope you have at least heard of Middle Earth, and our story. You may even know more than we do at the present moment." Anna nodded.

"Yes, my friend is a big Lord of the Rings fan," she said. Elrond looked slightly confused, but she continued. "I have seen the movies - oh, they're like moving pictures on a screen - nevermind," she said in her failing attempt to explain a television. "However, I've only seen them once or twice, and it was a long time ago; I'm afraid I don't remember too much."

This seemed to trouble Elrond, but he moved past it.

"Nevertheless," he continued, "I would like you to attend tomorrow's council. We have much more to discuss, but much will be explained to you there."

While Anna hadn't seen _Lord of the Rings_ in quite a while, she did remember some details.

"Do you mean the council regarding the One Ring?" she asked. Elrond looked surprised.

"It is indeed," he said. "Although I would keep that information to yourself. Only a few others know about it."

"What about the three I was talking to earlier - Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli? They looked as if they had just arrived."

"Yes, they have just arrived, and to quite a surprise I might add," he said with a small smirk. "It is the purpose of attending the council for which they came. Tomorrow will be the day that the fate of the One Ring will be decided."

With that heavy topic of conversation in the air, Anna realized that Elrond had led her back to one of the corridors. A young elven woman stood before them. It seemed as if she had been waiting.

"Lauriel, if you would," said Elrond. "I shall leave you now. I hope to see you tomorrow at the council. I ask that you be on time." Anna nodded before Elrond left. Finally the elf introduced herself.

"My name is Lauriel," she said. Her voice sounded so smooth and pure, and she wondered if all elves sounded like that. "Come with me, I will show you to your room." I followed her and forced myself to speak to her.

"I'm Anna." She wasn't quite sure where to go from there. "I'm here to attend the council tomorrow," she said finally, not sounding sure of herself.

Before Lauriel could respond, a dark haired woman rushed towards them, stopped abruptly, and offered them a small smile before lifting the hood on her cloak and rushing past them at an unnatural speed. Anna looked at Lauriel quizzically.

"Oh," she said. "That's Lady Arwen, Lord Elrond's daughter. Every time this 'Strider' comes through she disappears. They've tried to keep their love a secret, although I wouldn't really call it much of a secret anymore, at least not to us here in Imladris." Anna racked her brain. Strider...she remembered Arwen and Aragorn were in love, and then that Aragorn had also called himself Strider. She was beginning to remember more than she thought she would.

After walking through a maze of corridors that Anna was sure she would not be able to navigate the next day, they stopped at a door.

"Here we are," said Lauriel. "I will leave you here to prepare for tonight."

"Tonight?" Anna asked.

"Oh yes, didn't Lord Elrond tell you?" Anna shook her head. "There's to be a feast tonight to welcome the Ring-Bearer." That was Frodo, she could remember that easily. "There are some spare dresses in the wardrobe in there for guests. I'm sure there are a few that will do quite nicely." She stopped and looked at Anna for a moment. "Would you like me to do your hair for you?" Her initial response was to be insulted, however she then realized what she must have looked like.

"Oh, um, sure, that would be nice of you," she responded. "I wouldn't want to put you to any trouble," she added.

"Don't worry about that," Lauriel said. "I'm Arwen's handmaiden, and now that she'll be gone for a while, I'll have some time to spare. I'll come back in an hour," she said with a smile. Anna thanked her, and she walked away.

Anna walked into the room and glanced around. It had to be one of the most beautiful rooms she had ever seen. There was a bed with pure white linens that she found to be far too large for one, or for that matter, three people, a small vanity, and a wardrobe. It was simple enough, but what baffled her the most was the view. Across from her, the room was open with a balcony with a gorgeous view of the gardens below. There were thick, velvet curtains, most likely for privacy when changing considering that other than the curtains the room virtually had no fourth wall.

She decided that she should probably bathe before this feast. It sounded like a big deal. She closed the curtains and walked to the other side of the room to find an equally beautiful bathroom with a marble floor and tub, a mirror, and even a couple of candles. _If only all hotel rooms were like this_.

She undressed, grabbing a soft linen towel, and discovered that she had no idea how to use the bath tub. She stepped in, and the moment her toe touched the surface, the tub began to fill with steaming hot water.

She stepped in, enjoying the hot water and feeling the knots in her back come undone. She didn't realize how wound up she had been, not that she was surprised. Just sitting there in the bath, she began to think over everything that had happened, and she began to feel anxiety creep over her. Before she could descend into complete panic, she tried her best to clear her mind and relax as best she could.

 **A/N: I know this chapter probably wasn't the most exciting, as it was mainly a filler chapter. In the future you'll definitely see more of Anna and her past. After this, it'll start moving along.**

 **Once again, please read and review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Anna got out of the tub and dried herself off with the linen towel. She dried her hair, wrapped herself in the towel, and walked back out into the bedroom to try and find something to wear.

Opening the wardrobe, she found that she had no idea what would constitute "appropriate" attire for the evening. There were a few simpler dresses, and some more elaborately decorated ones. She decided on a forest green silk gown with simple silver embroidering at the elbows, and white elbow sleeves that flowed from the elbows.

She slipped on the dress, which, thankfully was fairly easy, except for laces in the back. Almost immediately after, there was a knock on the door, and she opened it to find Lauriel. Her timing was so perfect, Anna wondered for a moment if she had been waiting outside the door. Anna let her in, and as she turned around she heard Lauriel chuckle.

"What is it?" she asked, turning around. Lauriel approached her and gently turned her back around.

"You've laced your dress up wrong," she replied. Anna cursed to herself, embarrassed, but Lauriel was understanding. "Don't worry," she said. "Most women don't usually do this themselves anyway, it's far too difficult." _Tell me about it_ , Anna thought. After Lauriel had finished lacing up Anna's dress, she turned her around again. "Now, let's do something with your hair, shall we?" Anna groaned.

"You can try," she joked.

After about ten minutes of forcefully combing through Anna's hair, Lauriel pulled some of it back into twists, and even placed a simple yet beautiful silver circlet on the crown of her head as a final touch. She also touched up her face with what Anna figured was what people used as makeup in Middle Earth.

"Finished," Lauriel said with a pleased look on her face. "Take a look." Anna turned and looked at herself in the mirror in astonishment.

She looked like a fairy tale character, so much so that she hardly recognized herself. Lauriel had managed to tame her curls into smooth, brown waves. She turned to Lauriel and thanked her. Lauriel smiled at Anna's apparent surprise, and Anna thanked her before she left.

She took one more look in the mirror and took a steadying breath before leaving the room.

Once out of the room, she realized she had no idea where she was going. She wandered around for a while, and the light outside was fading. She already felt like she had had the longest day, but she continued walking until she spotted a short, curly-haired man, even shorter than Gimli. He also seemed lost. Before she could say anything, he approached her, looking very nervous and fidgety, not too different from what she was feeling right then.

"Miss?" he called out to her. She stopped, and looked at the small man. He was very short with curly hair, big blue eyes, and most noticeable of all, he was barefoot, with massive, hairy feet. She also noticed a golden ring hanging on a chain around his neck, which led her to believe that she had actually come face to face with Frodo Baggins. She had never really considered herself a particularly big _Lord of the Rings_ fan, however she actually felt what she could only describe as being star-struck.

She looked down at him, and he looked calm enough on the surface, but she could sense the turmoil going on inside him, not only from what she already knew of him, but from the look in his eyes that was all too familiar to her. Looking at her rather quizzically. "Could you point me in the direction of the feast? I'm afraid I've lost my way." She suddenly felt her heart soften for the poor little hobbit. She finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm lost as well," she said with a small chuckle. "You must be Frodo."

He nodded. "Yes," he said. "Just about everyone here seems to know who I am, and I have only been here a fortnight." She had no idea what a fortnight was, but she skipped over it. She let out a laugh.

"Well then it seems we've found ourselves in quite a predicament." she said. She found she was learning to speak more like the people there and using less of her twenty-first century slang. "Come on," she said. "Let's see if we can find our way there." He nodded, and they walked together.

"You clearly know me already," he said. "What's your name? Are you here for the council tomorrow as well?" She nodded.

"Yes, I am actually, although I don't quite know why." Frodo nodded again. "I'm Anna, by the way," she added.

"It's nice to meet you Anna," he said. "Although you are not the only one who doesn't know the purpose of this council. Many of the others whom I've heard are attending do not know."

"It's about the ring, isn't it?" she said. Frodo looked up at her in surprise, and slight fear as well, his hand grasping the ring around his neck.

"Yes," he said. "It is."

She felt a wave of pity for him then, knowing that he now had to fear just about everyone he met. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry," she said. "You have nothing to fear from me." He looked at her in surprise again, this time without so much fear in his eyes. "I know plenty about corruption," she added softly.

They eventually began to follow a small crowd, and saw the group of elves enter a large room through a pair of large oak doors. They walked through the doors to a large crowd of people, some seated at long tables piled with food, some wandering the room. Thankfully for both of them, they went unnoticed, except for Gimli, Legolas, and Boromir, who noticed the two of them walk in. She was about to walk over to the three when Frodo let out a cry.

"Sam!" he said gleefully, greeting another hobbit who came to stand beside him. The two hugged, and Anna remembered Sam as well. In fact, she remembered that he had been one of the characters she had admired the most.

"It's great to see you up and about again Mr. Frodo," he said. Anna smiled at the hobbit's unusually informal term of endearment.

"And it's about time, too," someone else chimed in. She turned and saw two other hobbits come around behind her to greet Frodo. "He hasn't shut up about this whole matter the entire time we've been here," one of them said. He had curly red hair, and was slightly taller than the other.

"Frodo," the other one said. "You haven't introduced us to your friend here." He jerked his head in her direction. Frodo turned and looked at her and offered a cheeky smile.

"How rude of me," he joked. "This is Anna, she just arrived here today. Anna, this is Sam, Merry, and Pippin," he said, gesturing to each of them respectively.

"Really?" Pippin asked eagerly. "Did you arrive with the elf from Mirkwood, or the man from Gondor? Their arrival was all anyone was talking about for a while - I suppose it's quite exciting for the elves to have the big folk around. And for us too," he added. "We don't see many of you in the Shire." Anna laughed at the hobbit's playful energy.

"I suppose you could say that," she said, responding to his first question. She didn't feel like relaying her story to everyone she met.

She looked up from the hobbits to see Boromir walking towards her.

"Well, we should be off," Merry said. "There's plenty of food here, and I won't hear the end of it until Pippin here has tried everything," he said, earning a look from Pippin. Frodo let out a chuckle.

"It was nice meeting you all," she said with a small smile.

"You as well, Anna," Frodo said, before dashing off after Merry and Pippin who had already eagerly begun to make their way to a table stacked with food. She smiled again, quickly becoming quite fond of the hobbit.

"I see you're fitting in nicely," Boromir said as he approached her with a small smile on his face. "At least with the halflings." She looked confused for a moment, before realizing he meant the hobbits. She nodded.

"Yes, they are rather cute, almost like children," she replied. He laughed at that.

"Would you care to join me for dinner?" he asked. She suddenly realized she was starving. He held out his arm, and as hesitant as she was, he seemed nice enough to have dinner with. She smiled shyly and took him arm, walking towards a table. She went to sit down, but Boromir pulled her chair out for her, sitting in the adjacent seat. They ate and made polite small talk for a while, before Legolas sat down across from her, along with a black-haired man with a scruffy face who looked rather uncomfortable.

"Hello," Legolas said. "It is good to see you are well again," he said casually. "Please forgive me, but I'm afraid I've forgotten your name," he said, chuckling nervously.

"Anna," she said. "Don't worry, I hardly know anyone here."

"Anna, this is A-" he was about to finish before earning a look from the man. "Strider," he finished. Anna gave him a suspicious look, but he continued. "He is a ranger from the North, and he has travelled a long way to be here." Anna gave the ranger a polite smile.

"It's nice to meet you Strider, I'm Anna." She looked to her right. "This is Boromir," she said, suddenly feeling as though it was out of line for her to introduce him. She looked over again, however to find him smiling at the ranger.

"Boromir of Gondor?" Strider asked,

"Yes," Boromir replied. "It is an honor to have you here." Anna looked at him in surprise. She figured the more esteemed people here would not be so humble in front of someone who was clearly not of a very high status.

The four of them were lost in conversation for a while before Anna excused herself. She realized that it was the first time in a while she actually felt happy. She was surrounded by people who, although she hardly knew them, somehow made her feel at home in a strange and intimidating place. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't had this much interaction in a long time.

Before long, however, she excused herself, standing up and leaving the room. She didn't know her way around, but Rivendell was beautiful, even at night. After wandering for a while, she found a balcony with a beautiful view of the stars. She walked out and took a deep breath of the cool, crisp autumn air. She leaned against the railing and looked up at the stars, overwhelmed by a feeling of calm. She close her eyes, however, and the memory came flooding back.

" _Where were you?" he asked in a rather harsh tone. She was surprised by this._

" _I just went out for a drink with Rachel," she said._

" _It's 11:00," he said, beginning to raise his voice. "Besides, you know how I feel about her." Anna was taken aback by his suddenly menacing tone. He had been acting worse for the past few days._

" _What is wrong with you?" she said, raising her voice as well. "Am I not allowed to go out with my friend?" she demanded. He moved towards her slowly._

" _What's wrong with me?" he repeated, becoming more and more angry. "What's wrong with ME?"_

" _Andrew-" she began, becoming more scared now than angry as he moved closer to her._

" _You've been acting out for so long, and I've been putting up with it-" she started to back away, but he kept moving forward. "But that ends now. I don't want you going anywhere without my permission, and you had better answer that phone every time I call. Every time! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" He was screaming now, and tears were beginning to stream down Anna's face._

" _You can't control me!" she yelled back at him, all the while becoming more scared. Then it happened in an instant._

 _His hand moved so fast she didn't have time to react. His hand struck her face and, in shock, her hand moved to where he had stuck her. As she drew her hand away, she saw blood. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, and he struck her again, this time with his fist. He continued for what seeme like hours, but what she knew was only minutes. He walked away then, leaving her lying on the floor. She didn't get up._

 _The next morning, she woke up, still on the floor. Before Andrew woke up, she picked herself up off the floor and left. She got in her car and drove to Rachel's in tears once again. A few hours later, he called her. He told her how sorry he was, that it wasn't like him, he didn't know what had come over him, that it would never happen again. Rachel didn't buy it, but Anna made the mistake of going back._

 _It took another two months before she finally left him for good. And she had been alone ever since._

 **A/N: Yes, I know that the feast didn't actually take place until the Fellowship had been formed, and it was the night before they left, but I placed it here instead. Sorry this took a little longer, but exams have started, and this chapter is a little longer, although this is about the length I'll be aiming for in future chapters. Again, please read and review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **A/N: So sorry this took so long! I've been busy with exams, which are thankfully over, and I've given you guys a nice long chapter.**

Anna snapped back to reality, feeling weighed down once again by the memories that she couldn't escape. Suddenly, she heard someone approaching, and quickly wiped the tears from her face. She turned around and began to walk away when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Anna?" Boromir said softly. _Crap,_ she thought. She turned around, putting on a casual smile.

"Hello," she said. "How did you find me here?" she asked.

"I was simply wandering," he said, looking out over the balcony. "I needed some air with all the noise and crowds in there I suppose." He looked back up at her, and his brow furrowed with concern. "What's wrong?" he asked, seeing her tear-stained face.

"Oh, nothing," she said sighing, putting on a fake smile once again. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed I suppose." Boromir did not look convinced.

"I know I certainly have no right to pry, given that I have only known you a day," he said. "But I see the look on your face now." He took a step closer to her, and she backed away from him, turning away and leaning over the railing of the balcony. Boromir stepped back, taken aback by her sudden, almost instinctive reaction. "You have seemed in distress ever since you arrived here. At first I assumed it was merely your confusion at your sudden appearance, but I believe now it is more than that."

She was surprised by his insight, and made a bit uncomfortable by it. He dared to step closer to her again, resting a hand gently on her shoulder. She whipped her head around to look at him. He saw the hurt in her eyes, the obvious pain, and looked he looked back up at her again. "I know this is a strange place to you," he said. "But you are not alone here. Remember that."

And with that, he removed his hand and walked away, leaving her there again.

She didn't know what possessed her to do it, maybe it was the pain she saw in his eyes as well, but she called out to him.

"Boromir," she said. He turned around. Suddenly she was at a loss for words. "Thank you," she said finally. He nodded, giving her a small smile before walking away. After he had turned his back, she allowed herself her own small smile, this one genuine.

That night she slept fitfully, drifting in and out of sleep.

" _I'm so sorry," he said to her. He had shown up that day at the door with flowers and a fake apology. "I wasn't myself the other night Anna, I wish I could take back what I did, I really do." His apology sounded genuine. "Please, just give me another chance. Please?"_

 _Unfortunately she bought it, and she moved back in. After two more months of beatings, manipulations, and false apologies, Anna was back at Rachel's doorstep, but this time Rachel didn't want to hear it._

" _Rachel, please, I didn't know! I bought it, I know I shouldn't have, but-"_

" _Save it Anna," Rachel said harshly. "I told you he was bad news, I told you over and over again and you never listened. Now you want my help? What's going to happen the next time he shows up with another fake apology?" Anna had tears in her eyes, feeling terrible about herself. She should have listened to Rachel. "Find somewhere else to go, Anna." And with that, she shut the door._

 _Anna got back into her car, angry. She was angry with Rachel for her sudden heartlessness, but she was angrier at herself for being fooled. She sat in her car and sobbed, letting everything from the past year and a half out. She was destitute, and utterly alone._

Anna woke up suddenly, realizing she had tears running down her face again. She looked around, realizing again where she was. She was slightly calmed by the view she had of the stars and the sounds of crickets outside. She wiped the tears from her face and, exhausted, let herself sink back into the soft bed, finally surrendering to sleep.

When she woke up, the sun was shining, and she heard birds chirping. She smiled at the beautiful atmosphere, and then groaned, not wanting to get out of the bed, which had become ten times more comfortable than it was the night before. There was a knock on her door, and, still groggy, she grudgingly hauled herself out of bed.

She opened the door to find Lauriel standing there, a strained smile on her face.

"It's almost time," she said. Anna blinked, still sleepy, and then widened her eyes as she realized what today was. "Come on," Lauriel said. "Get dressed. You don't want to be late, do you?"

Without another word, Anna nodded and rushed to the wardrobe, throwing on a simple pale blue dress and slippers, arguably much more comfortable than what she had worn the night before. After running a brush through her knotted hair and deciding she was presentable enough, she dashed out the door. She began to walk down the corridor when it hit her that she had absolutely no idea where she was going.

She felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned around to see Lauriel standing behind her with a smirk.

"Need help?" she asked with a chuckle. Anna nodded, embarrassed. "Come with me," Lauriel said, walking down the hall with a charismatic air.

After about only ten or so minutes, they reached a large, open courtyard with about twenty chairs assembled in a semi-circle, with Elrond in an elaborately carved chair facing the rest. There were already about ten people seated. She recognized Frodo across from the doorway she was standing in, along with an old, bearded man sitting next to him, seeming almost as if he was guarding him. She gave Frodo a small smile, seeing the nervous look on his face, and he returned it, or at least made an effort to. She also noticed Boromir seated across from Frodo with his back to her. He must have seen Frodo look up, because he then turned around.

"Good morning," he said, gesturing for her to sit down. She walked into the semi-circle, somewhat self-conscious, and sat down next to Boromir. She also recognized Strider sitting two seats over from Boromir, closest to Elrond, and Gimli, along with an older, white-haired dwarf.

"Welcome, Anna," Elrond said. She nodded politely. "It seems we are still waiting on quite a few people," he said, although just as he did, several other people walked in.

"How did you sleep?" Boromir asked, seeing the nervous look on Anna's face.

She looked at him, forcing a smile, although it ended up as more of a grimace.

"Not very well," she admitted. "I suppose it's not easy adjusting to this place, as beautiful as it is." He nodded understandingly.

They made small talk for a few minutes, with Strider remaining silent the entire time, every once in a while glancing at them out of the corner of his eye.

Without further ado, Elrond stood and began to speak.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate–this one doom." Elrond waved his hand, gesturing to the small pedestal in the center of the courtyard. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo," he said.

Frodo anxiously walked to the pedestal, and placed the ring on it, turning quickly and going back to his seat, as if he were glad to be rid of it. Anna realized she had been holding her breath, and she let it out, gripping the sides of her chair, her knuckles turning white. She was no _Lord of the Rings_ expert, but she knew what the ring did, and how powerful it was. She looked towards Boromir, remembering also how the ring had corrupted him. She saw the look of awe on his face as he raised his hand to his mouth in shock.

"So it is true," he said, almost in a whisper.

She was surprised to see that Boromir actually looked troubled by the ring, seeming to shy away from it. Then, with a pained look on his face, he slowly stood up, and she tensed.

"In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark," he began. "In the west, a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, 'Your doom is near at hand.'" He began to move towards the ring slowly, and Anna saw Elrond and several others, especially the old man next to Frodo, tense as well. "Isildur's bane is found." His hand began to reach for the ring, and Anna wanted to get up and stop him, but found herself unable to move. "Isildur's bane…"

Just as Boromir was about to touch the ring, the old man next to Frodo jumped up and began to chant in a language she had never heard before. The sky grew dark and Boromir quickly backed away, as if stepping out of a trance. She saw Frodo clutch his head in pain, and she herself felt like she was going to pass out, and she collapsed back in her chair. The man, who she now assumed was Gandalf, the wizard, stopped chanting, and the scenery returned to normal, and the wave of nausea that had come over her passed. She looked to her side to see that Boromir was back in his seat, looking still shaken.

"Never before has anyone uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris," Elrond said sternly.

"I do not ask your pardon Master Elrond," Gandalf said. "For the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the west. The ring is altogether evil," he finished, his glance landing on Boromir. She looked over at him again, and he seemed to have more than recovered from the effects of Gandalf's speech. He stood up again, this time not hesitant whatsoever, and Anna put her face in her hands in a vain attempt to avoid the scene she knew was about to play out.

"It is a gift," Boromir began, now sounding confident, powerful. He was speaking in a voice that Anna not only recognized, but hated. "A gift to the foes of Mordor! Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of _our_ people are your lands kept safe!" He began to raise his voice, and Anna looked up, glaring at him. "Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy, let us use it against him!"

She cringed as he said this. She knew his heart was in the right place, at least for now. She could tell how desperate he was to protect his home - and that perhaps that was the sadness she had seen in him the night before. Still, this was not the man she had met the day before. He was changed. She had seen the same change before, and she was suddenly repulsed by him.

Suddenly Strider spoke up.

"You cannot wield it," he said. "None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Boromir turned to face him, a nasty scowl on his face.

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" he taunted. A new wave of anger surged, and she hated him in that moment.

"He is no mere ranger." Anna turned to face Legolas, who had spoken. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn." She looked back at Aragorn. "You owe him your allegiance," Legolas said. Boromir walked towards Aragorn.

"Aragorn?" he said mockingly. Anna was becoming increasingly angry. " _This_ is Isildur's heir?"

"An heir to the throne of Gondor." Everyone turned around to face Legolas, shocked by his insult, however Anna was impressed, knowing what a blow he had dealt Boromir.

"Havo dad, Legolas," Aragorn said in a calm voice, gesturing for him to sit down. Boromir turned his venomous gaze back to Aragorn.

"Gondor has no king," he said. "Gondor needs no king." With that, he finally returned to his seat. After a moment he looked over at Anna, seeming calmer, but she avoided his gaze, not wanting to so much as look at him. Slightly hurt, he looked down, but she felt no pity for him.

"Aragorn is right," Gandalf said. "We cannot use it." Boromir looked further dejected, but Anna only shot him a glare before looking away again.

Elrond stood. "We have no other choice," he said in a commanding tone. "The ring must be destroyed."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Gimli piped up. He stepped towards the pedestal, despite Legolas trying to stop him, and swung his axe down, only to be thrown back.

"The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess," Elrond said. "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." He paused. "One of you must do this. _No pressure_ , Anna thought.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Boromir said. Anna looked at him harshly, but his tone had changed. He was beginning to make sense again, the comment seeming to come from some actual common sense. "Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep and the great eye is ever watchful. 'Tis a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this," he continued, shaking his head. "It is folly."

When he had so recently sounded vicious, he now sounded merely hopeless.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas said, standing up. "The ring must be destroyed!"

"And I suppose you think _you're_ the one to do it?" Gimli accused.

"And what if we fail then?" Boromir said, standing again. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Anna began to see that Boromir's harshness had stemmed from something that was not greed, but hopelessness and fear, although that did not, at the moment, make her any less angry with him.

Chaos ensued, with nearly everyone beginning to argue, shouting at each other, flinging insults back and forth. Amidst the fighting Anna spotted Frodo across from her, still sitting, and looking incredibly overwhelmed. Suddenly, he stood slowly.

"I will take it!" he shouted, although no one heard him besides Gandalf, who closed his eyes, clearly upset. "I will take it!" Frodo shouted again. This time, people heard him. "Though...I do not know the way." Anna felt another wave of pity for the poor hobbit, and yet she admired his bravery. Gandalf then stepped up.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."

Aragorn then stepped forward and knelt down in front of Frodo.

"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."

"And you have by bow," Legolas added.

"And my axe," Gimli joined in.

Boromir then stepped forward, and Anna tensed.

"You carry the fate of us all little one," he said. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done," he added with a curt nod. Anna was surprised at his words, but she was not convinced that he had changed his mind so quickly.

Although she was hesitant, and knew she would probably not be of much help, Anna could think of no other purpose for why she was in Middle Earth. She stepped forward calmly, not needing to fully kneel to be eye to eye with Frodo.

"Frodo," she said. "I know I have only known you for a short time, but I have already seen your courage. I can think of no other purpose for my appearance here other than to accompany you and help you in any way I can. I may not have skill with any sword or bow, or axe," she said, smirking at Gimli. "But I will help you bear this burden, if you will have me." Frodo smiled at this, this time a genuine one.

"I would be honored to have you," he said. She smiled back at him, and stood with the rest of the group.

"Mr. Frodo's not goin' anywhere without me!" she heard a voice pipe up. Suddenly, Sam came dashing into the courtyard from a pair of bushes, which he had apparently been hiding in the whole time.

"No indeed it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond said sternly. They looked at him only to find that he had an amused smirk on his face.

Merry and Pippin also suddenly came bounding into the courtyard from behind two pillars.

"Oy!" Pippin chimed in. "We're coming too!"

"And you'll have to send us home all tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry added. Anna couldn't help but smile at the hobbits' devotion to their friend, not to mention the comical air they couldn't help but carry with them.

"Anyway," Pippin said. "You need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing!" Merry shot him a look.

"Well that rules _you_ out Pip!"

Elrond looked over all of them.

"Ten companions," he said. "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great!" Pippin exclaimed. "Where are we going?" Everyone turned to look at him quizzically, and Merry thumped him on the back of the head.

By the time everyone had dispersed, Anna was already exhausted. She had no idea what this journey held, but she knew it wouldn't exactly be fun. After she had left the courtyard and was walking down the corridor when she heard a voice from behind her.

"That was very brave of you to join Frodo." She whipped around at the sound of Boromir's voice. She stopped in her tracks. "Especially since arriving in this strange place." She forced herself to turn and look at him. He had been leaning against a rail, but he turned to her and began to walk towards her. He looked like himself again, although now she wasn't sure if this was the real Boromir, or the vile man she had seen in the courtyard. She knew from what she had seen of the movies that the ring could corrupt even the best of people, but she wasn't taking any chances with him. "What is it?" he asked, seeing the cold look in her eyes.

"Leave me alone," she said. It came out sounding more venomous than she had intended, but she wasn't sorry. She turned on her heel and sped in the opposite direction, leaving Boromir dumbfounded.

 **A/N: My last chapter only got one review :/. I really appreciate your feedback, and it really motivates me to write more, so please review! Thank you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Anna woke up the next day feeling surprisingly more rested, despite the fact that she was woken just as the sky was beginning to light up. The morning October air was cool and crisp, and she walked out onto the balcony of her room and took a deep breath. She had always loved this time of morning, when it was cool out and all gray. Everything was quiet, more peaceful.

She put on the clothes that Lauriel had laid out for her. They were different from what she had worn so far, and were much more appropriate for a long journey which she assumed would be on foot. She had been given a long, dark green tunic that cut off at the knees, and looked more like a dress, with thick brown leggings and leather boots that came up to the knees. It reminded her a lot of what Arwen had worn in the movie when she had brought Frodo to Rivendell, although after having asked Arwen about that, she was incredibly embarrassed to find out that Arwen had never met Frodo, and that he had been rescued by an elf named Glorfindel. It had been incidents like those that made her wish she had read the books, and that stopped her from assuming anything.

She left her room, once again not knowing where she was going. Luckily, she found herself face to face with Frodo after almost knocking the poor hobbit over. Frodo knew where he was going, and the two of them began walking towards the spot where the Fellowship was to meet. Before long, they heard footsteps behind them. Anna turned to see Boromir walking in their same direction. He was still rather far away, and had not seen them yet. Just as he looked up, Anna took Frodo's hand and pulled him faster in the opposite direction. Frodo looked up at her, looking a bit confused, however he did not object and began to walk faster as well. She could tell Boromir also made Frodo uncomfortable, especially since he was the ring-bearer. Anna had decided to effectively ignore Boromir. She would be perfectly civil, and decided to try and dispense of any anger towards him so as not to hinder the Fellowship's progress, or make anyone else uncomfortable.

Just as the sun had completely risen, the Fellowship found themselves once again in front of Lord Elrond, at the entrance to Rivendell, not far from where Anna had landed the day she had arrived.

"The ring-bearer is setting out on the quest to Mount Doom," Elrond announced. There were a number of elves behind him, and amongst them she noticed Arwen, stealing quick, teary-eyed glances at Aragorn. "To you who travel with him, no oath nor bond is laid to go further than you may. Farewell. Hold to your purpose, and may the blessings of elves, and men, and all free folk go with you." He gestured to Frodo.

"The company awaits the ring-bearer," Gandalf said from the back of the group. Frodo immediately tensed, and Anna put a comforting hand on his shoulder, although she knew it would make no difference. He did however, reach up and squeeze her hand before walking towards the open gate, the rest of the Fellowship turning to follow him. She heard him whisper something to Gandalf, although she couldn't make out what it was. "Left," she heard Gandalf say.

They followed Frodo, and as Anna heard the gate close behind them, a horrible feeling of anxiety began to creep up on her.

She found herself walking next to Boromir, and despite her instinct to take off, she stayed where she was. Finally, Boromir spoke.

"I uh-" he seemed at a loss for words. She looked over at him, but found him looking at the ground and fidgeting nervously with his hands. This surprised her, especially after his behavior the day before. It could still very well be an act. "I apologize if I offended you in some way," he mustered. "I assure you I did not mean to." Anna was not sure yet of his true nature. She knew the Ring was affecting him no doubt, however she didn't know how much of it was the Ring, and how much was him.

"Don't worry about it," she said casually. She didn't look at him after that, and they walked in silence for a long while. He attempted to make small talk several times, and she answered, although her answers were always curt. It began to grow dark, and they finally stopped at a large expanse of rocks, many of which were flat.

"We will make camp here," Gandalf said. Anna was incredibly relieved, although she stayed silent. Boromir, looking rather dejected, walked away and settled down near Merry and Pippin. Anna dropped her pack and collapsed on the ground, near Frodo, Sam, and Gandalf. Everything was sore, and she realized then just how out of shape she was.

She made conversation with Frodo and Sam, who seemed just as exhausted as she was, and after eating a surprisingly good dinner cooked by Sam, who had hauled all sorts of pots and pans with him, they finally settled down to sleep.

Anna lay awake, gazing at the stars. She had never been anywhere where she could truly see all of them. The sight was truly a wonder. After a while, however, she found she couldn't sleep. Looking around so as not to wake the hobbits, she slowly stood and walked over to a large rock overlooking the land below. She muddled through her thoughts, everything that had happened to her since her arrival, and even before. So much of it was still confusing, a blur almost.

She whipped around suddenly as a figure appeared behind her. She sighed in relief as she recognized the figure as Aragorn.

"I am sorry to have startled you," he said, sitting beside her.

"It's all right," she said with a small chuckle. "Although not many people are able to sneak up on me like that. You walk like a cat." He laughed at this.

"That is often the result of being raised by elves," he replied. She did not look at him, but offered a small smile, now looking at the ground. "I have watched you since your arrival here," he said. She looked up at him sharply. He raised his hand in truce before she could offer her bitter retort. "I meant no offense," he said calmly. "Boromir spoke rashly yesterday at the council," he said, causing her to look at him in surprise yet again. "I have seen the suffering in your eyes. It is similar to the one that lies in his." Anna looked back at the ground again. "I can see you have suffered," he continued. "But do not harden your heart. You will find that you will miss much that life has to offer." She knew there was truth in his words. Aragorn stood as if to leave, but turned back. "I know not what you have endured thus far," he said. "Do not shut Boromir out. He is an honorable man." He hesitated, and then added softly. "He does mean well." It was beyond her how he could possibly see so much. Was she really that transparent?

After a few minutes, Anna returned to where she had rolled out her bed and managed to get at least some sleep.

The next morning was beautiful. The sun shone, and they were still close enough to the forest that they could see the beautiful foliage forming on the trees. They stayed put for a while. Sam made a delicious breakfast, to the delight of many others in the Fellowship. Anna sat next to Aragorn, watching Boromir attempt to teach the hobbits how to fight with a sword. They actually seemed to be developing some skill. Pippin skillfully blocked a gentle blow by Boromir.

"Good?" he praised. Anna was amazed. It was as if the man she had seen the day before had completely vanished, and he now seemed to be the man she had met. She had seen this change before, but somehow this was different. Boromir actually seemed to be...himself.

"Ow!" Pippin cried out in pain. Boromir had sliced his palm. Not a bad injury, but she stood up to help Pippin anyway.

"Sorry!" Boromir cried. It had clearly been an accident, but the hobbits were not so forgiving. They tackled Boromir to the ground.

"For the Shire!" Merry shouted. They wrestled for a few minutes, causing both Anna and Aragorn, and even Boromir to laugh.

"Alright you three, that's enough," Anna chuckled, walking over to them. Before she could break it up, however, her feet were swept out from under her, and she found Merry to be the culprit. She laughed and brought him down with her, and the four of them continued to wrestle on the ground until their stomachs ached. She admitted that it was the most fun she had actually had in a long time.

The fun was short-lived, however.

"Stop!" Aragorn shouted. They did, and looked at him. The rest of the Fellowship had also stopped and were looking at the sky. Anna looked up to see a huge swarm of what seemed like bats coming their way.

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted. She didn't know what that meant, but apparently everyone else did, as they began to pack up their things.

"Hide!" Aragorn ordered. As the Fellowship scrambled to find cover, Anna felt a strong arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards shelter. She immediately wanted to pull away from Boromir, but as he was pulling her towards safety, she followed him. He also guided Merry and Pippin, who ran over to Gandalf. Anna felt something horrible just then. She didn't know what it was, but she knew it had something to do with the bats. She was immobilized, unable to move. Boromir continued to pull her along.

"Here," he whispered to her, pulling her under some low hanging brambles. He made sure she got in first, and then crawled in after her, using his shield to help further hide them.

As much as she hated to admit it, and as terrified as she was, she felt safe there with him. She found herself shaking uncontrollably, and Boromir squeezed her shoulders tightly. Feeling tears of panic coming to her eyes, and not wanting him to see, she buried her face in his shoulder, although she wasn't sure that would help.

After a few minutes, Boromir whispered in her ear,

"It's all right. We're safe now." He gently rubbed her shoulder and climbed out from under the brambles, helping her to her feet, her hands still shaking.

"Thank you," she muttered, her face red with embarrassment. How would she ever survive this quest if something as small as this rendered her so helpless?

They followed the rest of the Fellowship, headed towards a large, snow-covered mountain. That did not make her feel any better.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm so sorry it's been so long! I got really sick for about a week and a half, and then had to spend a LOT of time catching up on school work, regular work, etc. Anyway, updates will hopefully be much more often in the future. This isn't my longest chapter, but I've added some Boromir/Anna moments in this one.**

 **Chapter Five**

They had been hiking up the mountain for only a few hours, and the sun was still shining, but the cold had already made Anna's toes go numb. Not only was it cold, but trudging through the high, heavy snow made Anna realize just how stunningly out of shape she was. She was hiking with Pippin beside her, whom she had come to like quite well. He was an amazingly optimistic little hobbit, and he made her laugh. Behind them were Merry and Boromir. She didn't know how Boromir did it, wearing his sword and his horn, which looked quite heavy, not to mention the gigantic shield. The four of them had been making small talk, which helped the time pass at least a little more quickly.

After a while, Anna felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Merry looking up at her, concerned. Boromir was not beside him anymore.

"What is it, Merry?" she asked. Merry turned around and pointed, and she realized that Aragorn and Frodo had fallen behind. She turned around just in time to see Boromir pick something up out of the snow.

It was the ring.

Boromir held it up in front of his face by the chain, almost cupping the ring with his other hand. He was mumbling something, but Anna couldn't make out what it was.

"What's he doing?" she heard Pippin pipe up from beside her.

"Giving the ring back to Frodo," she said, not looking away. She only hoped she was telling the truth. Boromir didn't move however, despite Aragorn's gaze. She also noticed that Aragorn had his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. She didn't know what was about to happen, but she had to do something to stop it.

"Boromir!" she called out. He turned to look at her, and, to Anna's relief, she seemed to have taken his attention away from the ring. "Give the ring back to Frodo," she said. She saw his expression darken again, and added, "Poor Merry here is having trouble in the snow. I cannot help two hobbits by myself." His face returned almost back to normal. He turned around and walked towards Frodo, handing the ring to him with relative ease, all the while taking quick glances back at Anna. He paused for a minute, looking down at Frodo.

"Here," he said. "I care not," he added with a chuckle, ruffling some snow out of Frodo's hair.

Boromir made his way back up to Anna and the hobbits. He looked down, seeing Anna's suspicious expression, and put a hand on Merry's shoulder. She felt bad, as if she had manipulated him somehow. She knew, however, that she had to do something.

"Come on," she said, this time without sounding so harsh. This was the first time she had actually seen him look ashamed, even afraid. Perhaps he knew what the ring was doing to him, in retrospect at least.

By nightfall, they had reached the Mines, according to Gimli. The doors were glowing with blue letters Anna didn't recognize. She asked Aragorn about it, learning that they were elvish. Gandalf stood in front of the doors and looked up.

"What does it say?" Frodo asked from beside him.

"Well it's quite simple really," Gandalf said. He seemed to have an answer for everything. "If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open." It couldn't be that easy. Gandalf began chanting in elvish, but to no avail. He tried for a good ten minutes before sitting on a nearby log to ponder the issue more. The rest of the fellowship had decided to take some rest while they could.

Anna looked over to Aragorn and Sam. Sam had to turn his pony, Bill, loose, as he could not go through the mines.

"Bye bye Bill," Sam said sadly, stroking the pony's mane.

"Don't worry Sam," she heard Aragorn assure him. "Bill knows the way home." Bill then trotted away back up the rocky slope from which they had come down. She felt a sudden wave of pity for poor Sam, and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. Aragorn had turned his attention to Pippin, who was throwing rocks into the lake that stood before them. "Do not disturb the water," he said in a warning tone. She saw him exchange a worried glance with Boromir, and she looked over her shoulder at him and saw a worried expression on his face.

"What is it?" she asked. Before he could answer, she heard a movement in the water that sent chills up her spine. She turned around and saw a large, scaly object moving through the water. She felt a hand on her arm, gently pulling her back. Boromir slowly let go of her arm and stepped in front of her. She looked at the water warily, along with Boromir, Aragorn, Legolas, and Pippin. The others hadn't noticed anything yet.

Gandalf still seemed to be working on opening the doors when Frodo suddenly piped up.

"It's a riddle," he said. "Speak friend and enter. Gandalf, what's the elvish word for friend?"

"Mellon," Gandalf answered. Suddenly, there was a great rumble as the doors began to open, and they all glanced in to see only darkness, and Anna felt a horrible feeling arise in the pit of her stomach.

Turning their attention away from the water, they entered the mines, which were utterly dark. Anna heard an odd crunching under her feet and looked down in horror. All around them were skulls with arrows protruding from them, bones and weapons scattered about, covered in cobwebs and dust.

"This is no mine," she heard Boromir say. "It's a tomb." Gimli suddenly let out a cry, sinking to his knees. Before anyone could react, they heard a wail from behind them. They all whipped around to see Frodo being dragged towards the water by a large tentacle. Boromir, Aragorn, and Legolas immediately sprung into action, with Anna following.

Her heart was pounding so fast she was afraid it would burst, but she decided to use the adrenaline rush to her advantage. She unsheathed the sword that had been given to her earlier in Rivendell, and began aimlessly slashing at the creature, although she didn't seem to be doing any significant damage, unlike Boromir and Aragorn, who were slicing off tentacles, and Legolas firing arrows at the creature, however to no avail. The creature still had Frodo in its grasp.

Anna noticed that the creature had gotten somewhat distracted, and the tentacle holding Frodo had lowered to within Anna's grasp. Acting quickly, she sliced at the tentacle. In retrospect, probably not the smartest move, considering she could have impaled Frodo. Thankfully, however, Frodo was freed.

She caught him, but both of them fell in the process. While Frodo was small, he was not light. She saw another tentacle darting their way, and shoved Frodo as far away from her as she could. Before she could get up to run, she felt the tentacle wrap around her ankles.

"Anna!" Frodo cried.

"Run Frodo!" she yelled. The hobbit, although hesitant, listened. As the creature dragged her away, her head hit the ground, and the yelped in pain. Before she knew it, she was much too high in the air, being flung back and forth.

"Anna!" she heard another voice call out. The creature had apparently realized that she was not what she was after, and flung her out of its grasp. She felt her stomach in her throat as she fell. She closed her eyes, and did her best to relax, bracing herself for impact with the hard ground when a pair of strong arms caught her. She opened her eyes, clinging to Boromir, adrenaline still pumping endlessly through her veins. "Into the mines!" he yelled, with the rest of the Fellowship following.

They passed through the opening to the mines, and a loud noise greatly disturbed her as boulders cascaded down and blocked the entrance completely. Everything went dark.

Gandalf lit up the space with his staff so they could see. Boromir set Anna down gently, but sensing her instability, kept his arm around her to steady her. Her heart began to slow again, and she calmed down, at least to some extent.

"Are you alright?" Boromir asked in a concerned tone. She looked up at him, his brows furrowed in concern. Still slightly in shock and unable to speak, she nodded slowly, although her head was still throbbing. He reached a hand up and brushed her forehead. "You're bleeding," he said. She reached up, and brought her hand back down to find blood on her fingers. She looked at Boromir again.

"I'm fine," she said. "It's just a scratch, that's all." She removed herself from his grasp, but still felt herself teetering. Boromir moved to steady her again, but she only grasped his arm. "Thank you," she said, not looking at him. She once again found herself feeling like the weak link in this Fellowship.

Gandalf's voice broke the tension.

"We have but one choice," he said. "Forward."

 **A/N: Again, so sorry this is so late, but please review! It really does motivate me to update sooner.**


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